Fan blade mounting system

ABSTRACT

A ceiling fan is disclosed having a blade iron mounting system ( 14 ) coupled to the bottom mounting plate ( 15 ) of an motor ( 13 ). The blade iron mounting system includes an annular mounting plate ( 24 ), an annular array of blade iron anti-rotation blocks ( 25 ), and an annular array of blade irons ( 26 ) having a blade ( 27 ) coupled thereto. The mounting plate also includes an annular array of inner five pulley mounts and an annular array of outer five pulley mounts ( 29 ). The blade iron is allowed to move radially relative to the mounting plate. A blade iron five pulley mount ( 49 ) is coupled to blade iron mounting hole ( 45 ). Lastly, a series of five cables ( 50 ), equal in number to the number of blade irons, is interwoven between a number of inner pulley mounts ( 28 ), outer pulley mounts ( 29 ) and blade iron pulley mounts ( 49 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a fan system for mounting blade irons and blades, and specifically to systems for automatically balancing the blade irons and blades of a fan.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many different types of fans exist today, such as ceiling fans, table fans, pedestal fans, and fans used in conjunction with mechanical equipment. Most of these fans include a blade and a blade mount or blade iron which couples the blade to the motor.

Electrically powered ceiling fans typically have a motor mounted within a stationary housing that is suspended from a ceiling. In operation, the motor rotates an annular array of individual extensions in the form of blade mounts or blade irons. Each blade iron is associated with a blade mounted thereto.

The blades of ceiling fans are usually coupled to the blade irons by passing mounting screws through holes in the blade and into threaded holes in the blade iron. The blade irons are then mounted to the motor.

Fan blade imbalance and the associated ceiling fan wobble may result from a variety of off-balanced or imbalanced discrepancies associated with the ceiling fan blades, including variations in blade pitch angle, dihedral angle, uneven circumferential spacing between adjacent blade pairs, blade warpage and uneven radial spacing of the blades from the vertical axis of rotation. Ceiling fan wobble, and the associated vibration, creates undesirable noise, is visually distracting, and may adversely affect the service life of the ceiling fan.

Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a ceiling fan system that can be quickly and easily balance the rotating blades. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred form of the invention a fan comprises an electric motor, an annular array of blade irons coupled to the motor for radial movement between the motor and the blade iron, and a ceiling fan blade associated with each blade iron, and a cable system interconnecting the blade irons to each other wherein the radial movement of one blade iron consequently moves all blade irons towards an equilibrium position. With this construction, the radial movement of a blade iron causes the cable system to move at least one other blade iron towards an equilibrium position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling fan embodying principles of the invention in a preferred form.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a portion of the ceiling fan of FIG. 1, showing the cable system of one blade iron.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the ceiling fan of FIG. 1, shown in a neutral position.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a portion of the ceiling fan of FIG. 1, shown in an offset, balanced position.

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of a portion of the ceiling fan of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference next to the drawings, there is shown a ceiling fan 10 of conventional construction except for the blade irons and mounting system for the blade irons. The ceiling fan includes an electric motor 13 connected to a source of electric power by unshown wires. A blade iron mounting system 14 is coupled to the bottom mounting plate 15 of the motor 13. The motor bottom mounting plate 15 has an annular array of threaded mounting holes 19.

The blade iron mounting system 14 includes an annular mounting plate 24, an annular array of blade iron anti-rotation blocks 25, and an annular array of blade irons 26 having a blade 27 coupled thereto. The mounting plate 24 is coupled to the motor mounting plate 15 through mounting screws 34 passing through mounting holes 35 within mounting plate 24 and threaded into the mounting holes 19 of the motor mounting plate 15. The mounting plate 24 also includes an annular array of five inner pulley mounts 28 and an annular array of five outer pulley mounts 29. Each anti-rotation block 25 is mounted to the mounting plate 24 through screws 37 extending through two oppositely disposed screw holes 38 within the mounting blocks 25 and threaded into threaded screw holes 39 within the mounting plate 24. The anti-rotation block 25 also includes a threaded mounting hole 40 therein.

Each blade iron 26 includes a mounting flange 41 and a blade mount 42 opposite the mounting flange 41. The mounting flange 41 includes a radially aligned elongated slot 44 and mounting hole 45. The elongated slot 44 is sized and shaped to receive an anti-rotation block 25 therein and allow radial movement of the blade iron 26 relative to the mounting plate 24, i.e., the elongated slot 44 is larger in length than the anti-rotation block so that the blade iron may move radially back and forth. A mounting screw 47 passes through a retaining washer 48 and is threaded into anti-rotation block mounting hole 40 to maintain the vertical position of the blade iron relative to mounting plate 15. A blade iron five pulley mount 49 is coupled to blade iron mounting hole 45. Lastly, a series of five cables 50, equal in number to the number of blade irons 26, is interwoven between a number of inner pulley mounts 28, outer pulley mounts 29 and blade iron pulley mounts 49, as described in more detail hereinafter. Pulleys mounts 28, 29 and 49 each have a center post and five individual pulleys mounted to the center post.

As best shown in FIG. 2, each cable or sub-cable system is coupled to all blade irons through their respective pulley mount 49. The cable shown in FIG. 2 is actuated through the movement of a primary blade iron 26A. Cable 50 is looped about the outboard side of blade iron pulley mount 49A, the outboard side of blade iron pulley mounts 49B associated with the blade irons 26B to either side of the primary blade iron 26A, and the inboard side of blade iron pulley mounts 49C associated with the blade irons 26C generally opposite to the primary blade iron 26A. The cable 50 is also looped about the inboard side of inner pulley mounts 28B adjacent blade irons 26B and about the outboard side of outer pulley mounts 29B and 29C. The same configuration of the cable shown in FIG. 2 is associated with each of the four other blade irons 26B and 26C. As such, each blade iron is coupled to all the other blade irons through each cable 50 of the series of five cables 50.

In use, as best depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, with the motor energized so as to rotate mounting plate 15 and its associated blade irons, the outward or outboard movement of a heavier primary blade iron 26A and associated blade, depicted as primary blade iron 26A, causes tension to be place upon the cable in the same outboard direction at pulley mount 49A. The pulling force upon the cable 50 results in the cable pulling upon blade iron pulley mounts 49B, thereby moving them in an inboard or inward direction. The pulling force upon the cable 50 also results in the cable pulling upon blade iron pulley mounts 49C in an outboard or outward direction. As such, the blade irons 26B immediately adjacent primary blade iron 26A are moved inward while the blade irons 26C generally opposite the primary blade iron 26A are moved outward, as depicted by the arrows in FIG. 4. These movements of the blade irons 26A, 26B and 26C and associated blades move the center of mass of the five blade irons and blades towards the center of rotation, i.e., the heavier, primary blade iron 26A and blade are offset through the inboard movement of the adjacent blade irons and the outboard movement of the oppositely disposed blade irons. The movement of the center of mass results in the automatic balancing of the blade irons and blades, thereby reducing wobbling of the ceiling fan. Of course, as each blade iron is associated with all five cables an equilibrium position is associated with the give and take of each of the five cables and interconnected blade irons.

It should be understood that the rivets may be used to hold the pulley mounts and used as an alternative to the screws depicted in the preferred embodiment.

It should be understood that the system will work equally for more than one blade iron and blade combination being off-balanced, as the entire system will move to an equilibrium position.

It should be understood that the current invention is not intended to be limited to ceiling fans and may apply equally to all types of fans. Also, the number of blades may be varied and is not limited to the five blade system shown in the preferred embodiment.

It thus is seen that a ceiling fan is now provided which balances itself. While this invention has been described in detail with particular references to the preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that many modifications, additions and deletions, in addition to those expressly recited, may be made thereto without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

1. A fan comprising, an electric motor; an annular array of blade irons, each said blade iron being coupled to said motor for radial movement between said motor and said blade iron; a ceiling fan blade associated with each said blade iron of said annular array of blade irons, and a cable system interconnecting said blade irons to each other wherein the radial movement of one blade iron consequently moves all blade irons towards an equilibrium position, whereby the radial movement of a blade iron causes the cable system to move at least one other blade iron towards an equilibrium position.
 2. The fan of claim 1 wherein said cable system includes a select number of sub-cable systems coupled to each said blade iron equal in number to the number of blade irons of said annular array of blade irons, each sub-cable system being adapted to move all other blade irons towards an equilibrium position in response to the radial movement of a primary blade iron.
 3. The fan of claim 2 wherein each sub-cable system is designed to force blade irons adjacent said primary blade iron in a radial direction opposite to the radial movement of said primary blade iron, whereby the outward movement of said primary blade iron causes the inward movement of said adjacent blade irons and the inward movement of said primary blade iron causes the outward movement of said adjacent blade irons.
 4. The fan of claim 3 wherein each sub-cable system is also designed to force other blade irons in a radial direction the same as the radial movement of said primary blade iron, whereby the outward movement of said primary blade iron causes the outward movement of said other blade irons and the inward movement of said primary blade iron causes the inward movement of said other blade irons.
 5. The fan of claim 2 wherein said fan has a select number of blade irons, a pulley mounted to each said blade iron, an annular array of inner pulleys equal in number to said select number of blade irons, an annular array of outer pulleys equal in number to said select number of blade irons, and a select number of cables equal in number to said select number of blade irons and coupled to said select number of blade iron pulleys, said inner pulleys, and said outer pulleys.
 6. The fan of claim 5 wherein said fan has five blade irons, a pulley coupled to each said blade iron, an annular array of five inner pulleys, and annular array of five outer pulleys, and five cables coupled to said five blade iron pulleys, said inner pulleys, and said outer pulleys.
 7. A fan comprising, an electric motor; a select number of blade irons, each said blade iron being coupled to said motor for radial movement between said motor and said blade iron; a ceiling fan blade associated with each said blade iron, and a sub-cable system associated with each said blade iron, each said sub-cable system causing the radial movement of at least one blade iron towards an equilibrium position upon the radial movement of a primary blade iron.
 8. The fan of claim 7 wherein said sub-cable system is adapted to move all other blade irons towards an equilibrium position in response to the radial movement of a primary blade iron.
 9. The fan of claim 8 wherein each sub-cable system is designed to force blade irons adjacent said primary blade iron in a radial direction opposite to the radial movement of said primary blade iron, whereby the outward movement of said primary blade iron causes the inward movement of said adjacent blade irons and the inward movement of said primary blade iron causes the outward movement of said adjacent blade irons.
 10. The fan of claim 9 wherein each sub-cable system is also designed to force other blade irons in a radial direction the same as the radial movement of said primary blade iron, whereby the outward movement of said primary blade iron causes the outward movement of said other blade irons and the inward movement of said primary blade iron causes the inward movement of said other blade irons.
 11. The fan of claim 7 wherein each said sub-cable system includes a pulley mounted to each said blade iron, an annular array of inner pulleys, an annular array of outer pulleys, and a cable coupled to said blade iron pulleys, said inner pulleys, and said outer pulleys.
 12. The fan of claim 11 wherein said fan has five blade irons, a pulley coupled to each said blade iron, an annular array of five inner pulleys, and annular array of five outer pulleys, and five cables coupled to said five blade iron pulleys, said inner pulleys, and said outer pulleys. 